Well, our predictions for the new Michelin-starred restaurants for 2020 were a bit off. We only managed to identify six correctly – although we certainly weren’t alone. It seems Michelin has changed tack a little bit when it comes to which restaurants it deems worthy of inclusion, focusing on smaller, tucked away restaurants throughout the UK rather than the ones everyone expects.
One of the biggest shocks had to be the lack of a star for Tom Brown’s Cornerstone. If anyone was a shoe in for a star, it was him (or so we thought). Claude Bosi at Bibendum was also hotly tipped for a third star (as was Clare Smyth’s Core), but the new three-star award went to Sketch (Lecture Room & Library) – something very few (if any) predicted correctly. Whilst the cooking and talent on show at Sketch is obviously very high, it makes you wonder what the likes of Bibendum, Core, Restaurant Sat Bains, L’Enclume, Moor Hall and Midsummer House have to do to get that coveted third star. In our eyes, they’re all performing at the very highest level.
This year was clearly the Republic of Ireland’s time to shine – two new two-star restaurants (the much-loved Greenhouse in Dublin, along with Aismir, which shot in straight to two stars after opening just five months ago), plus three new one-star restaurants. In Northern Ireland, Belfast gained a new Michelin-starred restaurant, bringing the city’s total to three. It’s clear that the Irish food scene is having a moment, finally getting a deserved time in the spotlight. You could tell how happy those in the audience were for the Greenhouse’s second star in particular, suggesting this was a long time coming.